Commitment—The Complete Zine

Commitment follows Starsky and Hutch after Starsky’s recovery from Gunther’s attack. In the first story, Lifetime Lover, Starsky’s near death experience has made him realize it’s time to admit his feelings for Hutch. Unfortunately, Hutch’s isn’t in the same place emotionally. He’s never been able to get past the abuse he once experienced. But when Starsky’s life is endangered during a bank robbery, Hutch has to confront his past and act to ensure a future with Starsky. In Test of Commitment, a letter bomb going off in Starsky’s office, causes Army Intelligence to reach out to him since he was a cryptographer in Vietnam. But the assignment triggers flashbacks of a man named Jimerson, who killed Starsky’s wartime lover. Could Jimerson still be alive? And could he now target Hutch?

Commitment was a 91-page slash Starsky & Hutch fanzine published in 1988 by Cheryl M. and Lucy. The zine originally was produced on a high quality cream-colored paper. The art is scanned directly from the zine. Artists in the zine include Judy Jones, Ruth Kurz, Linda McGee, Katherine Robertson, and Maureen B.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover—Art by Judy Jones (below TOC)

Title Page—Calligraphy by Linda McGee (below TOC)

Introduction—The Zebra Parade by Cheryl M.
(image and text below TOC)

Thursday—Song lyrics by Jim Croce, Art by Debbie M.
(image and text Below TOC)

Lifetime Lover by Cheryl M. with art by Judy Jones

My Road Less Traveled by Lucy, art by Debbie M.

The Search is Over lyrics by Survivor, Art by Debbie M.
(image and text posted before Test of Commitment)

Test of Commitment by Cheryl M
with art by Ruth Kurz, Maureen B., Katherine Robertson

Cover art and lettering by Judy Jones

Title page. Calligraphy by Linda McGee

INTRO: The Zebra Parade

THE ZEBRA PARADE

Last October, at Zebra Con, basking in the satisfaction of completing Half You Half Me 2, I thought, “This was fun. I should do a zine all by myself.” Well, in the first place, nobody does a zine alone. There are dozens of supporters, artists, editors, contributors, etc. that help in producing the finished product. My biggest mistake from the beginning was thinking it wouldn’t take long. I mean I did have two companion stories already that needed only minor editing to be print ready. All I had to do was get an artist or two to contribute, one final edit and I was ready to go, right? WRONG! Sydney said this isn’t long enough. Marion found a glaring hole in the first story and all my visions of a speedy (six months) production went down the drain. Now twelve months later it is finally ready.

Here it is, the final copy. There are many people to thank. My two teen agers, for doing without a mother. Lucy for help and encouragement and sometimes a kick in the seat of my pants when I argued too much. Sydney for pointing out the need for enlarging. Judy for doing such a beautiful job on the cover and with the first story. Maureen and Ruth for letting me use various illos, one more time. And last but definitely not least, Marion who insists she is not an editor. She’s right. She’s a magician! She took these two stories and with a word here and there made me enlarge and enhance and taught me much along the way. A very special thanks to Linda and her talented pen for the calligraphy on such short notice. This zine really belongs to all of you because without you it wouldn’t have been worth the effort.

THANKS!

Cheryl

Art by Debbie M.

THURSDAY

Well, it started out just like a dream and like a dream,
I knew that what we had would have to end.
Cause, I was looking for a lifetime lover and
You were looking for a friend.
Someone to be there after all your nighttime lovers had gone,
The way they came.
Someone who knew how to play,
Your daytime games.

It’s not the same.

Well, I started out pretending that I’d come to mean
Enough to you, to make you want to change.
Then I came to realize that there was just too much of you,
You’d have to rearrange.
And I couldn’t bear to wait around for all your nighttime
Lovers to go, the way they came.
And it came to hurt too much for me to have to play,
Your daytime games.

No one’s to blame.

Well, it started out just like a dream and like a dream,
I knew that what we had would have to end.
Cause I was looking for a lifetime lover and
You were looking for a friend.

—Jim Croce